


i want you for a lifetime

by ZephyrEden



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, SoRiku Day, SoRiku Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-13 21:19:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16900008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZephyrEden/pseuds/ZephyrEden
Summary: It was always going to lead to this. Eventually, all the small moments would build up to something.





	1. Chapter 1

It’s weird being on the islands now for any significant amount of time. The days have become mundane in a way that was a relief at first, almost vacation-like, but quickly became as boring as Kairi warned them it would. She would know, spending a year in the monotony while Sora slept and Riku…

Sora sighs, lifting his head to squint at the sun as he walks a familiar path on the mainland. Riku waited. Maybe he knows something about monotony then, too.

But that’s how things were now. They all had to accept the fact that now… They weren’t the only wielders out there. Sure, they were called on every now and then, either when the situation required one of them in particular or just when the others were busy. He’s sure the King and Yen Sid think they’re doing them a favor, letting them get back to their lives and not worrying about the stresses of other worlds, but things aren’t the same when a mission means leaving for a day at most and then coming back home.

Home. That was another weird thing. He’s sure that just a few years ago he never would have questioned the word relating to the house his parents live in, _he_ lives in, but now? He’s certain that home isn’t a stationary place. It’s wherever his friends are, for sure.

So, somehow, it feels more like he’s heading home as he walks the path to Riku’s house from his own.

It’s a little ways, all things considered, maybe the same distance from his house to the small island as it to Riku’s house on the other side of the mainland. His house is bigger than Sora’s, situated away from the heart of town and instead right on the coastline, a necessity for his father’s work as a fisherman and one of the biggest providers of seafood to the town.

Sora can see him out on his boat as he approaches the house, a speck the size of his thumb when he closes one eye and holds it up against the horizon. Riku looks like his father – both of them tall and lean and muscled from hard work, both with pale hair that they tend to grow out, both of them weathered by life in a way that doesn’t show in their faces but is unmistakable in their eyes. It’s their eyes that are different, though. His father’s are dull and grey, the color of churning waves during a storm that blots out the sun in the middle of the day. Riku’s eyes, as bright and vibrant as a mirror of a lagoon, don’t match his.

They’re his mother’s eyes. Sora thinks all three of them are glad for that.

Sora doesn’t bother going to the front door when he reaches the house, instead heading around the side and to the back door that’s always open. His hand is already pushing down the handle when he freezes.

The doors to the second-floor balcony are open, the pale yellow curtains that usually cover them fluttering with the sea breeze. It takes a minute of waiting, but then Riku appears. The wind catches his hair as easily as it did the curtains and he can see Riku close his eyes at the feeling, almost like he’s savoring it. It’s only when Sora feels his lungs burn that he realizes he’s been holding his breath. He lets it out and goes inside.

He takes the stairs two at a time, making plenty of noise to let Riku know he’s here. He’s surprised to find the bedroom door half open.

A few years ago, Riku would always keep his door closed. He would think that it would be the same now or even when they came back before their exams, but Riku had made a habit of not being home much then. Really, this is the first time Sora has actually been up here since… before.

He suddenly feels like maybe he shouldn’t be here.

“You can come in.”

Sora jumps at the sound of Riku’s voice, his hand tightening on the railing of the stairs. There goes his chance to escape. He gulps and pushes the door open all the way.

“What?” comes out of his mouth before he can stop it.

“Hello to you too,” Riku responds without looking, focusing on something in his hands.

Sora looks at him in bewilderment before going back to frantically looking around the room. The place is almost… empty, nearly everything he remembers being there now replaced by a half dozen boxes stacked neatly against the wall. “What are- Are you… moving?” The idea is so bizarre that he isn’t even sure how to process it.

“What?” Riku looks up now in confusion before following Sora’s gaze. “Oh. No. Just… cleaning up. There was a lot of stuff in here, stuff that I… don’t really need anymore. Not in my room, at least. Dad is gonna help me move it up to the attic tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Sora nods. That’s a relief. He crosses the room and flops onto Riku’s bed, arms spread out so he takes up a majority of the mattress. He sighs. The bed is soft and big and comfortable and feels like heaven compared to his own cramped twin bed that he was already falling out of when he was fourteen, something that has only become more of a problem now that he’s older.

He turns his head and actually gets a good look at what Riku is doing. He can’t help the grin that lights up his face when he does. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” He rolls off the other side of the bed, bouncing over to where Riku is standing in front of the wall next to the balcony doors. There’s already dozens of photos taped to the wall, Riku flipping through a thick stack of them in his hands.

It’s a rush of memories and nostalgia when Sora looks at them. There’s a lot of new photos, ones of their new friends and older friends, recognizable landscapes from other worlds they’ve visited. There’s old photos, too – ones from Riku’s first day of elementary and middle school, ones of all the kids playing on the small island, one he remembers Kairi taking when he and Riku were sword fighting one day.

Sora smiles as he looks them over, only looking away when he hears Riku’s hands falter and nearly drop the photos. He nearly falters, too.

It’s an old photograph, one that’s yellowed and faded, and Riku’s grip on it trembles ever so slightly as he holds it. It’s picture of Riku’s family, whole, standing in front of the ocean. Riku can’t be older than four, a tiny kid with rounded cheeks and a lack of seriousness that he had when Sora met him just a short time later. Riku’s father is standing tall, his arms crossed and something almost smug about his expression. Sora thinks it might be pride for his family. And then there’s Riku’s mother, next to her husband but crouched down so she’s level with Riku’s height. Her hands grip just below Riku’s shoulders and her smile is even more brilliant than her eyes. Riku mirrors her expression, smiling wide enough that it takes up half his face.

Sora has never seen Riku like that. Part of him doesn’t think Riku _can_ be like that again, even if he wanted to.

He moves back to the photos on the wall, his finger hovering just over them as he scans the faces – some of them smiling, some of them candid. “You’ve really got a lot of photos here.” He says it to snap Riku out of whatever thoughts are flooding his mind and it seems to work. Riku shuffles the photo back into the pile and continues moving through them like before.

“Yeah,” Riku answers after a moment, nodding. “Didn’t think it’d end up being so many, but…”

“The new ones,” Sora points to the ones he recognizes, ones at Radiant Garden and Twilight Town and a dozen other places. “Did you take them?”

“Yeah,” another nod. “With my phone. Ienzo printed them for me.”

Sora finds Ienzo among the sea of faces right after he says his name. It’s a surprising addition. He wouldn’t think that the young scientist was really the picture type, but the small smile he’s wearing in the selfie taken with Riku at the computer lab says otherwise.

He looks at Riku from the corner of his eye, a smirk tugging up at his lips. “Never would’ve guessed you’re the sentimental type,” he teases.

Riku immediately purses his lips and Sora grins. Worked like a charm. “Just because I’m not a giant sap like you doesn’t mean I’m not sentimental,” he fires back.

“Hey!” Sora yells in offense, crossing his arms in a huff. “I am _not_ a giant sap!”

Riku turns fully towards him, dropping the hand with the photos and propping the other against his hip. “You still have my blindfold.”

The blood drains from Sora’s face before it rushes back to turn him red. “H-how do you know that?” He was not expecting this kind of attack.

Riku smirks and there’s something familiar about it, but Sora can’t put his finger on what. “Because you just told me.” Sora’s mouth falls open and Riku chuckles, shaking his head. “But really, it’s just because I know you.”

Sora squints, looking at Riku skeptically as he takes a few steps backwards and sits on the edge of the bed. “You know me, huh?” he questions, catching Riku off guard. “What’s my favorite color then, huh?” he pushes.

There’s an odd expression on Riku’s face made only odder when he averts his eyes. “You used to like red.”

Sora tilts his head, raising a brow. “Used to?” Last time he checked, it was still his favorite.

He turns back to the wall, flipping through the photos again. “Now you like blue, too. Green as well, but not as much as blue.”

He blinks. Riku… isn’t wrong. In fact, he’s definitely right, it’s just that Sora himself didn’t realize it was true until he said it. “What, uh… What makes you say that…?”

Riku pauses for a moment, taking a photo from the bunch and grabbing the tape to put it up. “Part of it is just the lasting effect of Roxas and Ventus, I think. More Roxas than Ven, though. Blue is the color of the ice cream they’re always eating, it’s the color of that glass orb he got from the Struggle trophy. More importantly… it’s the color of home. Of the ocean and the clear skies. Oh,” he turns back and gives Sora a playful smirk, “and let’s not forget it’s the colors Donald and Goofy wear, too.”

Sora laughs at that last part but can’t shake the feeling of sudden vulnerability from Riku’s words. Because if he thinks about it, really thinks about it, he knows that every word is true. “Yeah, well,” he says, folding his hands behind his head and laying back against the bed, “I know you too, you know. Even if you don’t wear it so much anymore, your favorite color is still yellow. I, uh, don’t know any deep reasoning for it, though.”

Riku shrugs. “I don’t think it’s really anything deep.”

“Oh?” He unfolds his arms so he can sit up on his elbows. “What is it then?”

Riku looks down, heat rushing to his cheeks before he steels himself and looks back up. “It reminds me of you.”

“ _Oh_.” Sora’s face is matching Riku’s in terms of shade now. “That’s… really it? Not that that _can’t_ be it!” he quickly adds. “It’s just that, uh…” Riku and yellow have been a pair since Sora first met him.

“It’s fine, Sora,” Riku chuckles, going through the photos as he takes a seat next to him on the bed. He holds out a photo and waits for Sora to take it. “…Sunflowers.”

Sora sits up and takes the photograph with careful fingers. It’s another old one, stiff and yellowed with age and peeling around the edges. Riku’s mother is the focus, squatting in front of a garden where she’s planting sunflowers, the same ones that are still growing on the side of the house. She looks as sunny as the flowers, her smile and eyes bright and vibrant and full of life.

“They remind me of both of you,” Riku says after a moment. “I… don’t remember a lot about her. But I think you two were pretty similar. She would’ve liked you.”

“Yeah?” Sora asks. Even if Riku looks more like his father, he can see a lot of Riku in his mother, too.

Riku hums, “Yeah, definitely.” He nudges Sora playfully. “She probably would’ve liked you more than me.”

Sora laughs and elbows him back, handing back the photo. “Yeah, right. If she did it would just make us even ‘cause my parents totally love you.”

Riku opens his mouth to respond but freezes, his jaw slowly closing after a moment. He starts shuffling through the pictures again and catches one that Lea took of him, Sora, and Kairi. The pose was Sora’s idea, the three of them crossing their keyblades in the air like musketeers. He doesn’t realize he’s smiling until Sora pokes his cheek. He glares from the corner of his eye but his smile doesn’t fade.

Sora smiles back and chuckles. “For the record,” he starts, leaning his head against Riku’s shoulder, “you _are_ a giant sap.”

Riku snorts, shaking his head and splitting the pile of photos in half. “Yeah, I know.” He hands one half to Sora, both of them looking through the photos together. “I blame you entirely.”

Sora’s smile softens and he leans ever so slightly more into Riku. “I’m okay with that.”


	2. Chapter 2

Even though peace was restored, things weren’t the same as they were before. They won the battle – hell, they won the war – but their victory meant the cost of some things that had kept the darkness at bay before.

The worlds were still divided, yes, but it was only a matter of time before they realized there was far more beyond the borders of their world. There wasn’t any way to avoid it, the appearance of so many outsiders so many times were bound to leave natives with questions and eventually lead them to answers. Answers weren’t a good thing to have.

A lot of people understood the power of light and darkness now and with that came those that wished to harness that power. They searched for keyholes and their lust and greed attracted darkness back to their world.

The Heartless wouldn’t have stayed at bay, anyways. There were too many keys now, too many beacons constantly calling them from the Realm of Darkness. But because of the keys, it meant that the threats never lasted long.

Unless, of course, it happened to be the threats that Riku was tasked with dealing with.

He knows he’s been slacking on his training. The return to island life has made him soft, too busy forcing himself to focus on the positives of the situation that he’s let the reality of it all slip from his views. He may not be called on as often now, but he’s still a Master. His current skill level is bringing shame to that title.

He grits his teeth, his grip on Braveheart tightening as he lobs a Dark Firaga spell at the group of Heartless ahead. He can feel the flames for just a second before it leaves him, the heat so intense that it starts to feel cool. The ball of dark plasma writhes in the air, splitting into several smaller projectiles that home in on their targets, obliterating them into puffs of darkness.

He breathes a sigh of relief until a dozen more Neoshadows emerge from the ground. Fine. They’ll do this the hard way.

“Why are there so _many of you_?!” he yells in frustration, charging in. He’s only able to finish off one before another takes a swipe at him, shadowy claws slashing at his back, scraping at his heart. He whips his keyblade around, knocking it into the air and following it up so he can slam it back down into the others. He realizes what a bad idea it was after he lands, completely surrounded.

There’s a buzzing in his pocket followed by a simple upbeat ringtone.

The Neoshadows seem distracted for a moment and that’s their mistake. The phone rings again and Riku’s concentration erupts into pillars of flame around him. Hovering the midst of them, he runs the Heartless down, watching them dissolves into smoke before him.

He waits for a moment. No more Heartless appear, the area falling back into serene silence only to be interrupted by a fifth ring. His keyblade dissipates and he fumbles for his phone, trying to answer before the call drops.

“H-hello?” he answers, trying not to sound out of breath.

“Riku!” Sora grins at him through the screen. “Heartless giving you trouble today?”

Riku straightens up and brushes the hair away from his face. He raises an eyebrow, “What makes you say that?”

“Well, you usually never take longer than two rings to answer.”

Shit. He had hoped Sora never noticed that.

“Plus,” Sora continues, grin turning into a teasing smirk, “You’re looking pretty out of breath there, tough guy.”

Riku rolls his eyes to hide his embarrassment. He’s definitely getting back into his normal training routine when he gets back. “Yeah, like you wouldn’t be.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Lot more than they prepared me for, but I think I’ve got it all taken care of. So, why are you calling?”

Now it’s Sora’s turn to look embarrassed. He averts his eyes, scratching his cheek before folding the arm behind his head. “Maybe I just missed the sound of your voice.”

Riku knows his face is bright red even before the heat of it reaches him. He doesn’t let it stop him, though. His face softens, his smile small but definitely there. “Yeah? Well maybe I was starting to miss the sound of yours, too.”

Sora beams back but there’s a hint of affection to it that Riku’s been noticing lately. He tries not to look too far into it. It only lasts for a few seconds, though, until a look of sass takes over. “Or maybe I was just making sure you didn’t need back up. You really are taking a while, you know?”

Riku chuckles and starts walking. He’s about ready to go back home. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m doing my best. I’m getting ready to head back now.”

“Really?!” Sora asks excitedly, eyes bright. “That’s great! I saw your dad in town earlier and he invited me and Kairi over for dinner, said he caught a big one today! He was wondering when you’d get back so we could eat.”

Riku laughs louder now and he misses the way Sora softens at the sound. “Should’ve known it was about food.”

“Hey!” Sora huffs defensively. “It’s not my fault your dad makes the best fish dip in all the worlds. It’s a disservice to everyone if I keep him waiting.”

“Mmhmm, I’m sure,” Riku hums. With one last perimeter check out of the way, he can safely say his job here is done. “You can tell him to start cooking, just make sure you don’t eat everything in the house before I get back.”

“No promises!”

Riku shakes his head, about to end the call when Sora’s voice reaches him again.

“Hey, Riku?”

He stops walking. “Yeah?”

Sora smiles at him, not bright and blinding like usually, but a slight quirk of his lips that seems to say a lot more. “See you soon.”

Riku swallows around the sudden lump in his throat and nods, returning the smile with a tenderness of his own. “See you soon.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sora rows his small boat across the ocean, oars cutting through the waves as he sails from the mainland to the small island across from it. He hasn’t been here lately. He’s been busy trying to adapt to the routine of his new life here. He didn’t think it would be hard to balance training and his duties as a wielder with things like family time and catching up on school, but it turns out leaving for few years means you have a lot to catch up on. His parents are understanding enough; his brain, unfortunately, is not.

He tries not to feel dumb, stuck in a class with kids several years younger than him, and he wouldn’t if that was the only problem. But Riku was always better at studying and even while they started back in the same class, Riku proved to retain some knowledge while Sora was sleeping through class. Now Riku and Kairi would be moving on to their last semester as soon as summer ended while he would be left behind.

His boat hits the dock and he stops rowing.

For the first time, Sora wonders if maybe this is how Riku felt. Back then it had seemed like Riku was leaving them when he kept moving forward. He had never considered that instead of leaving them by his own will, it could’ve been a forced separation. It’s not like Riku could control the fact that he was a year older.

A memory of Kairi telling him just the two of them should take the raft and go resurfaces. Even if Riku did choose to leave them then, he wonders what would have happened if he didn’t. if the door had never opened.

He swallows around the hard lump in his throat.

Would he and Kairi have left Riku first?

He shakes his head. No, they would never do that. He climbs up on the dock and ties his boat off and even from over here he can see someone standing by the paopu tree. He takes a deep breath and shakes the lingering thoughts away. There will be time to think about them later when he’s inevitably awake in the middle of night, unable to sleep.

Shoes slipping on the sand, he runs towards the bridge, unsurprised to see Riku’s back leaning against the paopu tree. “Riku!” he calls, unable to stop the grin that forms when he sees him. He hops up on the tree trunk, laying on his stomach as his neck strains to see Riku’s face.

Riku turns, keeping his arms hidden from view. “Took you long enough,” he teases, smiling back at Sora. “I was beginning to think you sunk your boat.”

“Uh-huh,” Sora hums, rolling his eyes. “Kairi already told me that you flipped the boat when both of you were in it last month,” he smirks deviously, appreciating the embarrassed flush that creeps up Riku’s neck.

“Tch. Of course she did,” he huffs.

“So…” Sora pries, twisting back and forth to try to see behind Riku’s back. “Why’d you call me out here, anyways?”

Riku smirks. “Look what I found.” He reveals his hands, each of them clutching a wooden sword.

Sora leaps over the trunk in an instant, catching the sword when Riku tosses it to him a second after he lands. “I haven’t seen this baby in a while,” he says fondly even if his last encounter with it was less than pleasant. He runs his fingers over the worn wood, feeling the nicks and dents made from countless hours fighting his friends.

He still remembers the day Riku made these for them, continually remaking them as they got older so they grew alongside them.

“So,” Riku starts, throwing his sword up and letting it spin in the air before he catches it, pulling his right arm up and back as he enters a battle stance. “You up for a spar?”

Sora lowers his center of gravity, letting both hands grip a hilt that he’s now outgrown. He grins, “Born ready.”

Riku charges him without hesitation and Sora dodges, both of them easily falling into the comforting familiarity of battle. They know each other even better than they did back them, every shift of weight and twitch of muscle letting them know what the other is thinking.

The small plateau that the tree resides on is too small an arena for them now, so Sora opens up the battlefield. Dodging again, he leaps off the rise and lands on the beach below, turning just in time to guard against Riku. Their swords creak as they clash, the wooden weapons not cut out for the power that comes with two keyblade masters fighting.

They manage to make contact a few times, but it’s not enough to even slow them down.

Sora grins with a fierce sort of pride when he lands a solid hit on Riku, knocking him to the ground, and he jumps back on instinct when he sees Riku ready to right himself with a handspring. He doesn’t go far enough.

Riku is different now, much stronger and taller than he was just a few years ago. Now when his hands launch him from the ground, he flies forward with parted knees first, pinning Sora to the ground almost instantly.

Riku’s smirk is a level of smug and playful that Sora hasn’t seen in years. He holds the wooden sword across Sora’s neck, his knees pinning Sora’s arms to the sand as he straddles his waist. “One to zero,” he teases cockily, smug pride radiating off of him in waves.

Sora’s not sure if the heat beneath his skin is from irritation or fluster, but he’d take a wild guess and say it’s a pretty even mixture of both. “No fair, that’s cheating!” he whines, his hands flicking up sand since that’s about all they can do at the moment.

Riku barks out a harsh laugh. “Cheating? I don’t think so. Maybe you’re just slipping.”

Sora pouts, his brow furrowing with determination. He slips his legs past Riku’s chest, both shoes planted firmly against his shoulders before he pushes him off, quickly reversing their positions. “Maybe _you’re_ the one who’s slipping,” he taunts victoriously, sticking his sword into the sand right next to Riku’s head.

Riku is wide-eyed, unguarded. “Maybe I am.”

Sora blinks. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Or maybe…” Riku smirks, swinging his legs to shift their balance and using the sudden momentum to switch them again, “ _you’re_ the one who’s been slacking on training again.” Sora flings sand at him and he drops the toy sword to wipe the grains away from his face. “Hey-“

There’s roaring laughter and flailing limbs as they wrestle each other, grins equal parts delighted and determined as they roll across the beach and into the sea. It’s not until they submerge beneath the waves that they part from each other, breathless as they burst past the surface.

It only takes one glance before they’re both splashing water at each other. Sora tries to launch himself at Riku, but he’s easily caught, strong arms holding him by the waist like he weighs nothing. He barely has time to hold his breath before Riku is dunking him back in the water and trying to swim away. Sora grabs his leg, yanking him back and using the force of it pull himself forward and swimming to the shore first.

He’s happy and exhausted, dragging his heavy body weighed down by soaked clothes just far enough up on the beach that he isn’t drowning every time the waves lap at the sand. There’s no way he’ll dry when his clothes are soaking up saltwater every five seconds, but he’s fine with that right now.

Riku staggers out of the ocean a moment later, crawling up the beach until he’s found his place next to Sora. He falls onto his back with a splat that makes the other giggle tiredly, his chest rising and falling while he savors the feeling of the sun’s warmth on his face with closed eyes.

“I miss this,” Riku admits after a few minutes of quiet, just the sounds of the rustling palms and churning waves to keep it from being silent.

Sora turns his head, a tender affection lining his face as he watches Riku. “Me too,” he agrees quietly, the sound of his voice getting lost in the waves.

Riku slowly opens his eyes and Sora quickly turns away. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Huh?” Sora blinks in confusion before remembering to answer. “Oh, uh, no? I don’t think so, at least.”

“Good,” he nods.

“Uh… Why?” When a minute passes without a response, Sora sluggishly pushes himself up on his elbows so he can get a better look at Riku. His eyes are closed again. He looks peaceful like this, and while anguish isn’t something he sees in Riku’s eyes much anymore, he thinks it’s been a long time since he’s felt like this. Since he’s felt safe enough to be at peace.

“There’s something I want to show you,” he answers eventually. “Some place I want you to see.”

“Oh?”

“Mmhmm,” Riku hums, barely moving. “But that’s for tomorrow. For now… I think I want to stay like this for a little while. If you don’t mind.”

Lips pulling up, Sora lies back down next to Riku. “I don’t mind.” The side of his hand brushes against Riku’s and, instead of pulling away, he presses closer against it. “Don’t mind at all.”


	4. Chapter 4

There were certain benefits that came with the return of the other wielders. The rules became a little more lax, what with most worlds having an inkling of knowledge now about not being the only place in the universe. Travel was easier with the reintroduction of keyblade gliders, making it so trained wielders could easily traverse the lanes between whenever they were called for a mission.

Sora prefers the Gummi ship. The ship was roomier, could carry several people, and overall required less active effort than riding a glider does. The armor is uncomfortable, at least in comparison to what he’s used to being in, and he’s all too aware of the pauldron clanking on his shoulder even when the armor is in minimal form.

Still, gliders are much more convenient when it comes to traveling to other worlds. No asking the King for permission or begging Donald and Goofy to let him borrow the ship, no curfews or deadlines to worry about. Plus, he has to admit, it’s fun racing Riku through the empty expanse of space between worlds.

Racing is fine. It’s the landing he still has to work on.

He almost eats a mouthful of dirt when he pierces through the world border, light surrounding him as he moves towards the ground. It’s the familiar grip of Riku’s hands on his arms that stops him a few inches from the grass, a sigh of relief leaving him as he’s pulled back into a standing position. “I don’t understand how you always land on your feet,” he grumbles.

Riku chuckles and releases him. “Practice?” he shrugs. “Innate talent?”

“Uh-huh,” Sora drawls sarcastically. “Sure it is.” Riku starts walking and he quickly follows, now actually looking around the world they’ve landed in. They’re in a forest, the soft trickling of a river the only noticeable sound as their movement disturbs the stillness around them. Green grass is cut through by small cliffs rising up in slices to layer the ground in smaller tiers.

Riku climbs up them, holding his hand out to help Sora up. They both know he doesn’t need it, that he can climb surfaces twice as high with ease. Sora takes his hand anyways, without hesitation.

“What world is this?” Sora eventually asks as they travel to what he thinks must be the highest point of the forest. He can’t imagine climbing this much for any other reason. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here.”

“This is the kingdom that Princess Aurora is set to rule,” Riku answers. He’s purposely not turning around.

“A-Aurora?” Sora stammers, eyes widening. No, that can’t be right. Because if this is Aurora’s world, then that means…

“You’d probably think I would hate it here, right?” He doesn’t need Sora to voice his actual question. It’s an obvious one, one that he had been expecting from the very beginning. “Since this is the place that Maleficent comes from and all.”

Sora swallows, his throat suddenly dry. Of all the places Riku could’ve taken him, he never guessed it would be here.

“But look at how beautiful it is,” Riku continues, unbothered. “Despite all her evil, there’s a thriving world untainted by her darkness.”

Sora stops, his eyes finding Riku’s back. It’s not tense like he thought it would be. Riku really is perfectly fine being here. “Have you been here before?” He grabs on to a tree to ease his ascent, catching back up.

Riku nods. “A few times. The first time I think I was just… looking for closure or something. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I was looking for. But…” The trees are thinning out, a break in them up ahead that seems to be their destination. He stops and looks back, gazing down at Sora with gentleness so tender it takes Sora’s breath away. “I kind of fell in love with this world.”

The wind blows gently, tussling their hair as Riku holds out his hand again. Sora takes it and allows him to lead him past the trees and to the edge of a cliff, one formed from the side of a mountain instead of a small rise in the land.

 “Wow…” Sora breathes, his eyes travelling across the landscape as he takes it all in. They can see everything from up here. The magnificent kingdom and the bridge leading to it, the forest and river and, if he squints, a little house in the glen. Even the craggy mountain leading to Maleficent’s castle in the distance are easy to make out from up here.

He recognizes this exact view. He saw it in one of the pictures on the wall in Riku’s bedroom, one that he must have taken himself. “Why did you bring me here?” he asks quiet enough that his voice is carried away on the whisper of a breeze.

Riku closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Because,” he starts. He turns fully towards Sora, hesitation only winning out for half a second before he swallows his fear and takes Sora’s hand in both of his own. “It was something I wanted to share with you.” He raises his head, his eyes vibrant and full of determination as they lock with Sora’s. “It was something I absolutely had to show you, without exception.”

Sora doesn’t soften as much as he melts beneath the heat and warmth of Riku’s gaze. He rests his other hand on top of Riku’s and the sight of their fingers starting to intertwine makes it feel like his ribs might break against the force of his expanding heart. “Then let me return the favor.” Riku looks at him curiously and so he continues. “It will take a few days until it’s time again, but…” He rests his forehead against their hands, smiling to himself when he feels Riku twitch in surprise at the unexpected gesture. “I have something like that, too.”

Raising his head, Sora crowds further into Riku’s space until their tangled hands are pressed between the hint of space separating their chests. “It’s something I absolutely have to show you, without exception.”

Riku smiles and everything about him radiates with such a peaceful affection that Sora’s finds himself unable to breathe for the second time that day. “I can’t wait.”

Wrapped in the vulnerable protection of the moment, Sora wonders if it would really be such a mistake to call the feeling between them love.


	5. Chapter 5

They leave the islands under cover of night. It’s nothing stealthy like Sora would like it to be, both boys just trying not to wake up the entire town as they muffle their laughter at how ridiculous it is to try to sneak through town in the middle of the night.

They share a boat to the small island, Riku taking over and rowing the cramped vessel the entire way. Sora struggles to keep his eyes focused on the dark waves, relieved that Riku never seems to catch him when his eyes wander back to stare at his flexing arms as they work to move them.

It’s only once they dock at the small island that they can leave, far enough from the mainland that hopefully no one notices the bright lights that signal their transformation and travel towards the lanes between. Sora takes the lead now, guiding them to a world far from their own. The journey is peaceful. They aren’t racing like they were last time and Sora isn’t sure if it’s just because of the late hour, but he appreciates how comfortable it feels to travel like this, Riku at his side.

When they arrive at their destination, the world is only falling into dusk. The sunset is brilliant as it sinks behind the castle, sunbeams bursting around it as if the kingdom was a sun of its own. Riku is in awe and Sora grins as he takes it all in. He knew this was a good idea.

“This is the Kingdom of Corona,” he says after a couple minutes, Riku’s attention snapping immediately to him with a hint of embarrassment at being distracted for so long.

“This is… Rapunzel’s world, right?” he asks slowly, not wanting to be wrong.

Sora nods eagerly. “Right! You remembered!”

Riku smiles back. “You talked about this place a lot.”

“I’ve wanted to come back here for a long time, but I’m glad I waited. Now you get to see it, too, and at the best time!”

“Best time?” Well, evening here is certainly beautiful.

“Yeah!” Sora beams, grabbing Riku’s hand and pulling him through cobblestone streets towards the town square. “There’s this festival that’s held every year on Rapunzel’s birthday where they-“ he cuts himself off suddenly, pursing his lips as he thinks. “Well, you’ll see. But trust me, it’s amazing! We’ll need to get a good view, though…” His eyes catch sight of a sloping alley, one he knows goes in the direction of the water. And where there’s water there’s, hopefully, boats. “Perfect, come on!”

Riku doesn’t have much of a choice, not when Sora is practically dragging him through the crowd. Not that it makes much of a difference; he knows his feet would follow Sora anywhere.

The crowds thin out to just a few stragglers near the docks and Sora is elated to find just what he was hoping for. “Stay here!” he yells before he dashes off, leaving Riku to watch in confusion as he converses with a portly man near the water. It’s not long before he runs back. “Okay, I got the boat, but it’s the last one so you’ve gotta stay here with it to make sure he doesn’t give it to anyone else.”

“More rowing, my favorite,” Riku jokes before looking down at Sora with a raised brow. “But where are you going?”

Sora grins and gives him an exaggerated wink. “It’s a surprise, but trust me, you’ll love it. Stay with the boat, please?” he asks nicely, even folding his hands for added effect.

Riku sighs and nods. “Fine. But you better not ditch me!”

Sora laughs as he runs off back in the direction of the market. “I would never!”

“I know,” Riku says to himself, walking to the docks. He nods at the man in charge and gets into the rowboat, silently thankful that it’s bigger than the ones they’ve been using since they were children back home. He watches the kingdom in silence as he waits, the sun now dipping past the horizon line and blanketing the city in night. He’s honestly a little surprised. He wouldn’t expect a big town like this to be so dark right after nightfall.

“I’m back!” Sora yells through panted breath, nearly tripping down the slope trying to run faster. “Just in time,” he heaves, jumping into the boat and nearly jostling Riku into the water. He doesn’t notice. “I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast in my life.”

Riku sees an item clasped protectively in Sora’s hands, but can’t make out what it is in the dark. Instead of asking questions, he lets Sora catch his breath, picking up the oars and rowing them further out into the water until the kingdom is distant. “So…” he says eventually, letting the boat drift on its own. “What’s this all… about…” His voice trails off as he sees a single light float above the city, a soft orange glow continuing upwards for eternity.

“In honor of the lost princess,” Sora starts to explain, voice softening not because of the story but because of the wonder and awe in Riku’s expression, “the kingdom of Corona releases hundreds of lanterns into the sky on the night of her birthday, praying for her return. This year, though, it’s the first time they’ve been lit as a token of celebration for her return.” Dozens of lanterns lift to fill the skies, some of them rising high and others dipping down and spreading out over the water until the entire area surrounding the kingdom is ablaze in their warm glow.

“Sora,” Riku breathes because he doesn’t think he can speak any louder. “This is…” his eyes drift around them until they land on the boy in front of him, ethereal as he’s bathed in the light, “beautiful…”

Sora smiles. “I was only able to get one, but…” A flicker of flame licks up from his palm and he uses it to light the lantern in his hand. “I didn’t think you’d mind sharing.”

Riku is dazzling in a way Sora has never seen, the light highlighting him in a way that makes him look otherworldly, his eyes a thousand times more vibrant than he ever thought they could be. There were butterflies in the pit of his stomach when he bought the lantern, but now that he’s holding the light out in the space between them, Riku’s hands warm and steady as they cover his own, he’s never felt so right.

In one easy synchronized movement, their hands gently lift the lantern into the air and drop, letting it drift upwards on its own. Their eyes follow it for a moment before looking back at each other, Riku’s hands still holding Sora’s.

“Riku-“

“I’m in love with you.”

Sora blinks. Time stops. In a single moment that stretches out infinitely, there is only him and Riku surrounded by light. Riku’s hands squeeze his own just slightly, but it’s enough to bring him back to the present. He isn’t entirely sure he didn’t imagine it. “W-wha-“

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Riku continues and Sora knows immediately that it’s a lie, can see it in the flicker of hurt that flashes across his face as he averts his eyes. “It’s okay with me, at least. I just- I needed you to know. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncom-“

Riku turns rigid when Sora pulls one of his hands free to clamp it over Riku’s mouth, trapping the words behind his teeth. Sora sighs with a roll of his eyes before he shakes his head. “And people say that I’m the dumb one.” He moves his hand away and pokes at the furrow in Riku’s brow that formed at the comment. “What?” he laughs. “It’s true. Only you would be dumb enough to not realize I’m in love with you, too.”

Riku’s slowly turns back, his eyes lifting to meet blue ones once more. “S… Say that again?” he requests breathlessly, like he’s scared to ask.

Sora’s face softens, his eyes half-lidded as he drowns in affection. His fingers lace with Riku’s, his other hand cradling Riku’s cheek while his thumb caresses his cheekbone. His dreamed of doing this for a long time. “I’m in love with you, Riku.”

They’re leaning towards each other. “I love you, Sora,” Riku whispers and they’re close enough that Sora can feel his breath on his skin.

The distance between them is almost closed and there’s a warmth blooming in Sora’s chest that’s more intense than any light he’s ever felt. He already loves hearing those words as much as he loves saying them. “I love you, too, Riku-“

“Sora! You made it!”

They spring apart like they’ve been zapped by thunder magic, the boat rocking violently from the sudden movement on either side. Hearts racing, they realize that the boat has drifted back towards the kingdom, the princess and her lover waving at them from the docks.

“I mean, I know you said you would come, but I didn’t see you so I got worried and-“ Rapunzel quickly rambles on in her excitement until Flynn clears his throat, giving her a gentle nudge.

“I think you’re interrupting something, _dear_ ,” he says none too quietly and Rapunzel gasps and covers her mouth when she takes real notice of the other person in the boat.

“Oh. Oh my gosh. I’m so _so_ sorry I interrupted, just uh,” she giggles in embarrassment as she grabs Flynn’s arm, pulling him away as if he was the one interrupting, “pretend I was never here!”

They wait until the princess and her beau are gone before they both erupt in uproarious laughter, clutching their stomachs and the side of the boat as they double over.

“Well, I guess that’s one way to have a moment ruined,” Sora wheezes, wiping the tears from his eyes. He can’t even be mad about it. It somehow seems like something that was just meant to happen. Perfect fairy tale first kisses were for other worlds; fumbling awkwardness and ridiculous amounts of laughter seemed to fit the two of them just fine.

“I don’t know,” Riku shrugs, unable to contain his grin. “It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”

“Yeah,” Sora agrees with a nod. All the tension has drained out of Riku, leaving only sweet affection and radiant joy. It’s a look that he hopes he’ll see often now, one that leaves Riku more breathlessly beautiful than he’s ever been before. Sora grabs for Riku’s hand again and squeezes, smiling. “Me either.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Kairi!” Sora yells, starting to panic for approximately the eighty-ninth time in the last half hour. “This is a bad idea, I should really just in my normal clothes.”

Kairi sighs for eighty-ninth time in the last twenty-nine minutes. “Sora-“

“What if he doesn’t even recognize me?” he whisper-yells, sticking his head out of the dressing room while trying not to draw the attention of every shopper in the store.

Kairi’s frown is so immediate that Olette has to cover her mouth to not burst out laughing at it. She stomps over to her best friend and tugs the tallest strand of his hair upwards.

“Ow! Hey, quit it-“

“How could he not recognize you when everyone else can see your hair from a world away?” she asks, lips pursed together as she waits for his rebuttal.

He pouts. He knows she’s right. He can’t help it, though, he’s never been this nervous for anything in his entire life.

This whole thing was happening because the day after the lantern festival, he and Riku told Kairi that they had started dating. She was excited for two seconds until she asked what their first date was. Did the lanterns count as a date? Did they have to be already dating for it to be considered a date? Did it count as a date when your intention was just to show your best friend something you thought he’d really like and maybe spend some time staring at how gorgeous he looked in lantern light while he was distracted looking at said lanterns?

And so Selphie, because of course Selphie heard everything because how could anyone on the island talk about anything even the slightest bit romance-related without Selphie overhearing, made it a point to ask if they could really be considered dating if they hadn’t even been on a real date. It would’ve been easier for her to just slap them both across the face and tell them they’re doing it wrong, but instead they were left in silent crisis not even a full day into their relationship.

It was Kairi’s suggestion, after unsuccessfully trying to get the boys to forget Selphie’s “helpful” opinions, to just go on a date then. And what better place to do so than Twilight Town where there were shops and restaurants and cafes and overall just a lot of nice places to sit if nothing else worked out.

“Listen,” Kairi says seriously, taking Sora’s face between her hands. “You know how sometimes when you go to different worlds, your clothes change to fit in?” Sora nods. “Just think of this like that. The world of dating is new to you both and you’re just changing outfits to fit into it better.” She smiles when she sees the words visibly sinking in.

“Okay, fine,” he mumbles, slinking back into the dressing room. “But if I look bad, I’m blaming you!”

“I take full responsibility,” Kairi agrees as she walks back to Olette and gives her a quiet high-five. Kairi pulls out her phone, eyes lighting up at what she sees.

“Is it Namine?” Olette asks, leaning towards Kairi. “I hope she’s having an easier time with Riku than we are here.”

Kairi grins and turns the phone towards her friend. “I’d say so.”

“Namine, are you sure this isn’t too mu- What are you doing with my phone?” comes through the speaker followed by a giggle. “Are you video call-“ The call ends.

“Okay, so maybe this outfit isn’t so bad,” Sora admits as he leaves the dressing room, tugging on the bottom of his jacket to straighten it out. “Way better than those pants you had me try on earlier, felt like you were trying to turn my legs into sausage links.”

Kairi rolls her eyes, “They’re called skinny jeans, Sora. Olette,” she turns to the brunette, grabbing her hands pleadingly, “be my new best friend. I’m in desperate need of someone who knows the difference between a sundress and a jumper.”

“They’re both dresses, it’s the same thing,” Sora waves off.

Kairi’s hold tightens. “ _Please_.”

“Sorry,” Olette giggles, “but I think I’m needed here. And you,” she directs at Sora, winking, “need to go to your meeting place. Don’t wanna keep your boyfriend, right?”

“Boyfriend,” Sora repeats and laughter bubbles up past his lips. It’s the first time he’s really said the word and it leaves him giddy. “Right.” He hops up and down, ready to sprint out of the store to meet his boyfriend. “Thanks Kairi, thanks Olette!” he waves as he leaves.

“Did, uh,” Olette starts, the thought suddenly dawning on her. “Did he pay for that?”

Kairi sighs and shakes her head, reaching into her pocket and holding up a handful of tags and a receipt. “Really, what would those boys do without me?”

 

 

Sora tries not to trip as he runs down Market Street, weaving past people as he heads to the Tram Common. The plaza is busier than expected when he reaches it and he feels his nervousness from before resurface when he can’t immediately find Riku.

“Sora! Over here!”

Sora’s head turns like it’s on a swivel, his body immediately attuning to the direction of Riku’s voice. He pushes through the crowd and works not to let his jaw drop when he lays eyes on his boyfriend. Riku certainly makes those skinny jeans look better than he did and, between the boots and the leather jacket, Sora can hardly believe that this is the person that he’s dating.

He clenches his fist and whispers with as much feeling as he can muster, “Thank you, Namine.” He definitely needs to get her a new sketchbook and pencils in return for this.

Riku starts walking so he can meet Sora halfway. He doesn’t hide the fact that he’s looking him over, a thrill shooting through him that he doesn’t _have_ to hide it anymore. It doesn’t stop the slight blush from covering his face when Sora raises a suggestive eyebrow at him. He clears his throat. “You look good. Really good.”

Sora grins, relieved that all his panic was for nothing. “I could say the same thing about you. Who would’ve guessed you actually had style?”

Riku snorts, “Please, this is all Namine’s work. Hard work.”

“Probably not as hard as Kairi and Olette worked on me,” he admits sheepishly. “I, uh, kinda gave them a rough time.”

“Now that I believe,” Riku teases, easily looping his arm over Sora’s shoulder in a movement too smooth to reflect current feelings. “So… dinner?”

Sora leans into Riku’s side instinctually, perfectly content to just stay like this for the rest of the night. “I guess? That’s a usual date thing, right?”

Riku shrugs. “How would I know? This is a first for both of us, remember?”

They start the short walk over to Le Grand Bistrot, just barely able to get a table for two while the rest of the building is packed with the evening crowd. The restaurant is definitely far fancier than either of them of used to eating at and they can’t help but feel a little out of place there.

Sora stares at the menu for longer than he probably should be. He knows that he’s definitely made some of this stuff before (whether he had help or not is beside the point), but now when he tries to read it all the names look foreign and off. He can’t remember what foie gras is and while he’s fairly certain that he’s never heard of sweetbreads, he’s also pretty sure it isn’t as good as it sounds.

“This place… really isn’t us.”

Sora looks up and sees Riku looking at the window, twilight approaching the eponymous town. His menu is closed and Sora doesn’t think he’s even opened it to look. “I mean…” Sora starts before he purses his lips, bringing his eyes to the window as well. “It might be a little different than where usually go on the island, but that’s what dates are for, right?”

Riku reaches for Sora’s hand, lacing their fingers together atop the small table. “Maybe according to Selphie or whoever, but…” He smiles reassuringly, both for Sora and himself. “As long as we’re together and having a good time, I think that’s all that really matters.”

Sora smiles, giving Riku’s hand a small squeeze. That definitely sounds more like them. “It sounds like you have an idea.”

Riku shrugs but looks pleased with himself. “Just a small one. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

They pass by their confused waiter as they leave the restaurant, plenty of waiting patrons eager to steal their table. Moving with the crowds making their way back home, they reach the station and board the train heading to Sunset Terrace.

The train to the residential district is packed full. Riku grabs for one of the few available handles hanging down from the roof and he certainly doesn’t complain when Sora presses close to him, holding onto his arm for support instead of reaching for another handle that would have them separated.

When they get off at Sunset Station, Sora takes a look around. He’s been here before once or twice, but he’s never had much reason to stay in this part of Twilight Town. The whole district is mostly made up of homes, anyways. “Where are we going?” he asks, already joining their hands together before Riku can even hold his out.

“You’ll see,” is the only answer he gets.

The town is emptier over here, the streets fairly quiet and the atmosphere sleepy. They walk up the winding roads towards the edge of the district and it’s only once they climb the dirt path leading up a hill that Sora understands why they came here.

The sunset is dazzling from here, coating the town and forest in reds and oranges while the sky bleeds into violets. Even in the distance he can make out the beach that he heard was here but has never seen himself, the glistening waves reminiscent of their world no matter how far away it is.

“You really know the best views, huh,” Sora jokes, a little breathless by the view. No matter how alike they seem, every world is different, and the way he’s feeling right now as he watches a sunset that he’s probably seen a thousand times on islands really drives that home.

“Sora.”

Sora turns and their eyes meet instantly. The sunset makes everything look softer, smoothing out all the sharpness in Riku’s face until all that’s left is something almost tangibly tender. He can’t help when gaze drifts just ever so slightly lower.

“Can I kiss you?”

They both stop, wide-eyed and silent until they burst out into ridiculous amounts of laughter.

“Did we- Did we really-?” Sora attempts to ask through hiccupping giggles, face red from lack of oxygen.

“Ask at the same time?” Riku finishes, his own cheeks twinging from the strength of the smile he’s wearing. “Yeah, which is think makes it a yes.”

“Oh,” Sora says, getting closer and swallowing his laughter as much as he can. “It definitely, _definitely_ does.”

Sora’s hands fist into Riku’s jacket to pull him closer, one of Riku’s hands cradling Sora’s cheek while the other slips into his hair. They can’t tell which of them is smiling into the kiss, but they can feel it when their lips meet for the first time. It doesn’t last long but when they part, they both know the other feels the same way.

Breathless. Electric. Eager for more.

“Wow,” Sora breathes but his eyes haven’t left Riku’s lips.

“Yeah,” Riku agrees and Sora can feel like word against his skin before they meet again.

It’s everything he thought it would be and more, every kiss pressing a desire into his skin that he didn’t think anyone could ever really have for him. And with each kiss comes a desperation to kiss back harder, to force Riku to acknowledge that he feels just the same. Riku’s lips part and Sora’s hands tangle in his hair, trying to ignore the burning need for air in his lungs for as long as he can.

His chest is heaving when they finally part, taking in hungry gulps of air while his world is left spinning. “Well,” he swallows, licking his lips. “I think we can call this a successful first date.”

Riku chuckles, nosing at the hair by Sora’s temple before pressing a kiss to it. “Last time I ever listen to anything Selphie says.” He wants to melt when he feels Sora wrap his arms around his waist and lean into his chest. He’s not nearly as adept at giving hugs, but it feels natural to have his arms wrapped around Sora, too. “You ready to go back?” he asks quietly.

“Mmm,” Sora hums. He can hear Riku’s heartbeat like this – a little fast but always steady, unwavering. He thinks it might be one of his favorite sounds in all the worlds. No, he knows it is. “In a little bit. For now, I just wanna stay like this.”

“Okay,” Riku mumbles, closing his eyes as he presses another kiss against Sora’s hair.


	7. Chapter 7

It’s been three weeks. Three blissful weeks since the lanterns, three idyllic weeks since their first kiss, and they’ve been nearly inseparable since. Nearly only because of one mission too many and Sora swears a few hours in another world has never felt so agonizingly long before. But even then, Riku is waiting patiently for him at the place he knows he’ll return to.

As soon as Sora is free of his armor, he’s throwing himself at Riku without hesitation, knowing he’ll be safely caught. He’s come to expect the soft kisses to his features (he thinks the one to the bridge of his nose might be his favorite if not only for the way every nerve in his body comes alive and aches with the tender affection Riku showers him with), the way Riku sometimes nuzzles into his hair, the quiet tone he uses when he whispers greetings to him, anywhere from “good morning” to “welcome home.”

Sora feels like he’s home.

“I’m home,” he answers back, arms wrapping around Riku’s neck to bring him close enough to kiss. He thinks he might like the feeling of Riku’s smile against his own more than the actual kiss.

Riku’s hands go to Sora’s hips and Sora props his chin against his boyfriend’s chest as he looks up at him. “Aqua called me today,” Riku starts, his thumbs slipping under the fabric of Sora’s shirt to caress small circles into his bare skin.

“Oh?” Sora’s eyes close, already having a hard time focusing on Riku’s words.

Riku chuckles at the reaction. “Yeah. She said there’s supposed to be a meteor shower here tonight.”

Sora’s eyes flutter back open and he smiles. “Wow, that’s nostalgic. We’re gonna watch it, right?”

A nod. “If you want to.”

Sora snorts. “Did you expect me to not want to?”

“No, I knew you’d wanna.” Riku grins before he lightly flicks Sora on the forehead. “I’m just trying to be a considerate boyfriend and ask first.”

Sora can’t help the rush of giddiness that goes through him every time he hears the word. “Well, I promised to help Kairi pick out a new bike after the last one broke-“

“You shattered it into a million pieces with a Triple Blizzaga spell,” Riku helpfully reminds him.

“Yeah, well, how was I supposed to know metal becomes as delicate as fine china when it’s brought to subzero temperatures?” Sora pouts. “But anyways,” he continues pointedly, “I promised to get her a new bike and you promised to help your dad out tonight, right?” Another nod. “Then we’ll meet on the beach after nightfall?” He eagerly returns the kiss he gets in answer.

“Sounds perfect.”

 

 

Riku is already sitting in the sand when Sora arrives. His wallet may be empty now, but his heart instantly fills at the sight of his boyfriend and he wastes no time going to him. It only takes a moment before Riku’s hand is in his, their sides pressed together at every possible point of contact.

“Just in time,” Riku says after a minute, his empty hand pointing up to where the first meteor is streaking through the night sky. It only takes a few seconds for it to be followed by dozens more.

Sora is wide-eyed, his mouth parted in a silent gasp as he watches them. “To think… last time I saw this, it was just like it was now – me and you on the beach, watching the stars.” He sighs, his head turning just enough to rest on Riku’s shoulder. “You think it’ll be like this next time, too?”

Riku lifts Sora’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it before kissing each finger. “I hope so. The worlds would have to be in serious danger again for me to miss something like this with you.”

“Oh really?” Sora giggles, the kisses soft enough to border on ticklish. “The next meteor shower might be a long time from now. You sure you’ll even wanna be here then?” His voice cracks on that last part, a niggling of fear that’s wormed it’s way to the forefront of his mind uninvited.

It’s a fear he’s had for a long time, one that manifested before the idea of dating even entered the equation. Really, if he’s being honest, it’s been a restless thought in the back of his mind since even before things like darkness and light had any meaning to him. He’s spent most of his life watching Riku’s back. It’s not strange to worry that one day Riku would move so far ahead that even his back would disappear from Sora’s view.

He freezes when Riku’s lips leave his hand. He’s done it, he’s ruined it, he should’ve kept his mouth shut, he should’ve-

“One day, I’m going to marry you.”

The laughter that bursts from Sora’s mouth is brash and uncalled for, but he doesn’t know how else to respond to such a ridiculous leap in logic. Then again, maybe that’s what makes that kind of answer so perfectly Riku.

Sora sits up, eyes finally leaving the meteors as he twists around to look at Riku. “We’ve only been on one date!”

The seriousness in Riku’s eyes isn’t anything strange, but he’s never had it in this context before. Even before he speaks, the sincerity he exudes washes over Sora in waves that leave him winded. “I’ve loved you since I was five, Sora. I’m not going to stop. Not ever.”

“Is this a proposal?” He laughs at the rush of red that immediately floods Riku’s face, but he softens at the idea. “Because… even if it took a while- to get actually married, I mean…” He scratches his cheek, averting his eyes before he loses his nerve. “I wouldn’t mind being engaged to you.”

“Sora?” Riku’s voice is barely above a whisper, unable to raise any higher.

“Like a promise,” Sora continues, swallowing around the lump in his throat. He can’t believe he’s saying any of this, but now that he’s started he doesn’t want to stop. “A promise that no matter what happens or what anyone else thinks… I’ll always be by your side just like… just like I know you’ll always be by mine.”

For a few minutes the only sound is the crashing of the waves and the whistle of the wind through the palms. Riku lets Sora’s words sink in fully, completely, before he opens his mouth to speak. “…Two days.”

“What?”

“Give me two days,” Riku repeats more firmly as he sits up. He reaches for Sora’s left hand, his thumb running along his ring finger.

Sora swallows again but he’s fairly certain this time that the lump in his throat is his heart. “…Okay.”

 

 

Riku is gone the next morning.

Two days shouldn’t be that long. Sora has spent way longer apart from Riku before, apart from everyone even. It shouldn’t be that long, but it is. Every hour drags on like a small eternity and nothing makes it go by any faster.

He plays ball with Tidus and Wakka and goes shopping with Selphie and Kairi. He finally gets around to cleaning out his room, much like Riku did earlier in the summer, and he even looks over his schedule for the next school semester. He calls his friends in other worlds, checks up on how Donald and Goofy are doing lately, asks around to see if there are any possible missions they can send him on. It doesn’t matter how small they are – he’s desperate.

He knows that this isn’t just about missing him. Because while he definitely does miss him, just like he always misses him when they’re apart, this time it’s paired with an insatiable curiosity due to the way they left off.

Is he taking this too seriously? What even takes two days to do? With his luck, Riku is probably getting the King’s permission for his hand in marriage. He snorts at the thought before he stills. His hand. In marriage. That’s… that’s what this is, that’s what they’re talking about.

Sora stares at his hand, the feeling of Riku’s fingers between his ghosting his nerves like a phantom memory. He feels like he should probably be worried. Or maybe not worried, but… contemplative? Nervous? Should he be telling his parents about this? He should probably tell Kairi at least, he tells her everything, after all. He feels like he should feel _something_ aside from the dumb giddiness that’s filling up every inch of his body at the thought of getting to be something even more with Riku.

At some point that he’s not aware, he falls asleep to that thought. He sleeps deeply and soundly until his phone buzzes next to his head. He wakes up suddenly, disoriented by the night sky still outside his window. It takes a few minutes for his eyes to focus, but once they do he realizes the buzzing is a message. It’s from Riku, telling him to meet him at the island.

Sora trips over his own feet in his rush to throw clothes on, trying his hardest to not wake up the entire town as he stumbles down the stairs and out the door just before daybreak. His heart is racing double time as he rows across the waves until it stops completely when he reaches the dock and sees a silhouette standing on the beach.

He wants to run to him, wants to race through the sand and ask him all about what he’s been doing, but he forces himself to walk. He isn’t sure why, but he thinks it’s important that he does.

The first rays of sunlight are just breaking past the horizon when Sora reaches him, the sky bursting to life in growing shades of orange, pink, and blue. “Welcome home.”

Any tension Riku held before melts at those words, smiling easily as he leans down to give Sora a kiss. “I’m home,” he whispers against his lips and Sora devours the words like a starving man who was just offered the sweetest meal possible.

It’s Riku who breaks the kiss, only pulling away enough for their lips to part. He rests his forehead against Sora’s, his eyes closed tight enough that he seems pained when he forces the next words past his teeth. “Are you… Are you sure you want to do this? With me?”

Sora holds Riku’s face gently between his hands, waiting for him to open his eyes again and look at him before he speaks. He smiles softly, pressing kiss to Riku’s chin. “Hey,” he whispers, his thumbs running along his cheekbones. “I’m sure. And of course with you, only you. It’s always been you, Riku.”

Riku’s face crumples for instant, one short moment where he completely loses his composure and looks like he might weep. He takes a deep breath and one step back, putting just enough space between them to pull himself together. He reaches in his pocket and takes something out, taking one of Sora’s hands in his own and dropping one of the items into his palm.

Now Sora’s certain that he’ll be the one crying.

It’s a ring. It’s a ring polished with a simple silver band, but when he turns it in his hand he’s left breathless. There’s an inset cutting right through the middle, thinner than the silver on either side as it circles the ring. He vaguely recognizes the materials used, the iridescent appearance reminiscent of certain gems he’s used in synthesis before, all of them melting together until they swirled into a beautiful nacre of oranges, pinks, and blues that reflect the brilliant sunrise they’re standing against now.

Laughter bubbles out of Sora’s throat with wet tightness that sounds too close to tears. Two days. Two days gone and he can’t even be surprised that they were spent making rings for the two of them because that’s just a Riku thing to do.

“Thirteen years ago,” Riku starts and Sora’s eyes snap up to him, his voice melding with the morning calm, “I stood on this beach and, without entirely knowing what I was doing, I took the Key that Terra held out to me and inherited his will. But I did something else that day, too. It’s the day that I promised to protect you. And I haven’t done a good job of keeping that promise-“

“Riku-“ Sora interrupts because he’s not having any of that, not now and not ever. He’ll argue with Riku about it for the rest of their lives if he has to.

“But now I’m making another promise to you,” Riku continues undeterred because this is something that he _needs_ to say, for both of them. “Because you don’t need my protection. But I need you. So no matter what comes at us next, through light and darkness and all that lies between, I will stand steadfast by your side. That is my promise to you.”

Riku drops to one knee. He takes Sora’s left hand, pressing a kiss to his palm before turning it to kiss the back. He pulls away and looks up at Sora, holding up a ring that is identical to the one in Sora’s other hand in every way but the size. “This ring is a symbol of that promise. This ring is my oath.” He slides the ring over Sora’s ring finger and Sora shivers at how perfectly the cool metal fits around it. “This ring means that I am yours. Forever.” He kisses the ring and Sora can feel the edges of his lips on his skin. “Or, as long as you’ll have me, at least,” he adds with a quiet chuckle.

Sora drops to his knees without hesitation. He doesn’t have some fancy speech planned, but he thinks Riku will forgive him of that. He doesn’t need a bunch of words of what he has to say, anyways.

Sora takes Riku’s left hand in his own, his hands shaking just enough for it to be noticeable. He slips the matching ring over Riku’s finger then laces both of their hands together, savoring the feeling of Riku’s ring pressing against his bare skin. “Forever,” he whispers and his voice cuts through the sound around them so Riku can’t mistake it for anything other than what it is.

An oath.

Their lips meet and it tastes like eternity.


	8. Chapter 8

“Hey there, Princess.”

Kairi stops swinging her legs and looks up from where she’s sitting on top of the wall across from Merlin’s place. “Hey, Lea,” she smiles in greeting, the other redhead coming to sit beside her.

“So, where are the lovebirds? They didn’t bail on us to go make out somewhere again, did they?” Lea asks, only half-joking. It only had to happen once for him to never be sure.

Kairi giggles, shaking her head. “Yes and no? Riku went on some mission for the King and was gone for a couple days. We just picked him up from the castle in the Gummi on our way here, so I left the two of them in there to, uh, “catch up,”” she snorts, her fingers putting air quotes around the words.

Lea rolls his eyes. “Can’t even say I’m surprised.” He nudges Kairi when she doesn’t respond. “So how’s it going with you? You holding up or has jealousy finally taken over?”

“Jealousy?” Kairi scoffs. “ _Please_ , I’m pure of heart, remember? Jealousy is beneath me,” she says with faux superiority before laughing again. “No, but honestly, I’m really happy for them. Happy and…”

“Disgusted?” Lea fills in, chuckling when Kairi smacks his leg. The level of PDA between the pair of boyfriends has only been increasing since they started dating.

“Relieved,” Kairi settles on. She sighs, “I was beginning to think they were both too stupid to ever figure things out. Me and Yuffie already made a plan to trap them either on the small island or training dimension until they figured out their feelings if they didn’t make a move soon.”

“Why’d you have to pick our place to use as a prison?” Lea grumbles before he sees the pair approaching in the distance. “And look who finally decided to arrive!”

Kairi and Lea immediately muffle their laughter. Riku is looking thoroughly embarrassed, likely due to the series of red marks visible on his neck, several of them starting to bruise. Even with the collar of his jacket pulled up, he can’t hide them and that only seems to add to the smugness radiating off Sora.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lea suddenly starts, hoping down the ground floor when he catches sight of the glinting rings on both their hands. “Oh, so you two are finally hubbies, huh? Can’t believe you tied the knot and didn’t even invite me to the wedding.”

“We’re not _married_ yet, only engaged,” Sora says proudly, showing off the ring to Riku’s increasing fluster before he deflates. “My parents said I have to finish school first,” Sora pouts, “so “Riku doesn’t have to support me” or something like that.”

“As if he doesn’t do that already,” Kairi teases, jumping down to join them. Sora opens his mouth to defend himself, but Kairi uses her height advantage to catch him in a headlock. “Don’t talk back to your elders,” she chides with a smirk as he struggles to free himself.

“You’re not older, just taller,” Sora grunts. “Riku, help me!”

“I think I’ll stay out of this one, babe.” Riku takes a step back, just in case.

“Wise choice,” Kairi nods. “Besides, this is what you get for taking fifteen minutes longer than you were supposed to.”

“Riku was there, too!”

“Yeah, but Riku didn’t char my bike this morning with a Fission Firaga.”

“You busted her bike again?” Lea chimes in, shaking his head. “How is it that you need this training more than all of us?”

“Hey!” Sora yells as he finally frees himself and jumps back towards Riku. “I’m a Keyblade _Master_ , there’s no way I need more training than either of you. Besides, I’ve already done my training at least three times by now!”

“Uh-huh,” Kairi drawls, summoning her keyblade and pointing it in Sora’s direction. “We’ll see about that. Me and you are sparring first this time around. And this time, I’m winning.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sora laughs as he mimics her. His laughter fades as he stands on his tiptoes to whisper in Riku’s ear. “I think she’s going to win this time and I’m scared.”

Riku laughs louder than he means to, covering his mouth when Sora elbows him in the side. “I’m sorry, but you really should know better by now than to make her mad.”

Sora leans limply against Riku, his arms wrapping around his boyfriend’s waist to keep himself up. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“And I will be,” Riku answers, his arm snaking around Sora’s back, “when I’m casting Curaga on you and when you inevitably convince me to carry you home.”

“Sorry, Sora, but,” Kairi smirks at him as she smacks her fist against her palm, “you won’t be escaping this fight. Not today.”

“Hell yeah, Princess, love seeing you fired up,” Lea laughs, giving Kairi a high-five as they head towards Merlin’s house. “Let’s get on with it already, I’ve been waiting to smack the spark out of these lovebirds all week!”

“They’re a good pair, those two,” Riku sighs. He’s about to follow, but Sora tugs him back.

The second Riku turns around, Sora’s lips are on his and they easily melt into each other. “They’re good,” Sora agrees and gives him one more quick kiss before pulling away and getting ready to run after them. “But we’re better.”

Riku smiles. He can’t argue with that.

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](http://twitter.com/deepseasalt_) | [tumblr](http://deepseasalt.tumblr.com) | [carrd](http://zephyreden.carrd.co)


End file.
